What are the types of public relations? The ten main types are media relations, crisis communications, community relations, corporate communications, internal communications, investor relations, public affairs, digital and social media PR, influencer relations and event PR. Each serves a different audience, from reporters to shareholders to regulators. The Public Relations Society of America defines the whole field as a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.
Originally published April 2022. Updated October 2026.
What are the ten types of public relations?
The ten types differ mainly by audience and by the result each one is meant to produce. The table below compares them, and the sections that follow cover each in turn.
| Type | Main audience | Goal | Typical output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Media relations | Journalists and editors | Earned coverage | Pitches, press releases, press kits |
| Crisis communications | Customers, regulators, press | Limit reputational damage | Holding statements, spokesperson briefings |
| Community relations | Local residents and groups | Local goodwill | Sponsorships, volunteer programs, town meetings |
| Corporate communications | All stakeholders | Consistent company voice | Brand messaging, annual reports, executive speeches |
| Internal communications | Employees | Alignment and trust | Memos, town halls, intranet posts |
| Investor relations | Shareholders and analysts | Informed investors | Earnings releases, investor decks, calls |
| Public affairs | Legislators and regulators | Favorable policy climate | Position papers, testimony, coalition work |
| Digital and social media PR | Online audiences | Visibility and engagement | Social posts, online coverage, search content |
| Influencer relations | Creators and their followers | Borrowed trust | Product seeding, sponsored content, ambassador programs |
| Event PR | Attendees and press | Shared experience and coverage | Launches, conferences, stunts |
Most programs combine several types. A product launch can use media relations, influencer relations and an event in the same month, and the same company can need crisis communications the next. The guide to writing a PR plan explains how to sequence them.
What is media relations?
Media relations is the practice of earning coverage by building working relationships with journalists, editors, producers and bloggers. A PR professional pitches a story, supplies facts and spokespeople, and the outlet decides whether to publish. The company does not pay for placement, which is why earned coverage carries more credibility than an advertisement.
The core tools are the pitch, the press release and the press kit. The media relations guide sets out how to pitch and follow up, and the press release guide covers format and templates. Measure media relations by the quality and reach of the placements, and by whether coverage carries the intended message.
What is crisis communications?
Crisis communications is the practice of speaking for an organization when an event threatens its reputation, safety or finances. The aim is to state what happened, what the organization is doing and what affected people should expect, in that order. A spokesperson, a holding statement and a clear chain of approval matter more than polish.
The strongest examples on this site show the range of outcomes. The Domino's 2009 crisis and comeback shows a company turning a viral video into a product reset. The Penn State case shows how slowly trust returns after an institutional failure. The crisis communications guide lays out the response in order.
What is community relations?
Community relations builds goodwill between an organization and the neighborhoods where it operates or sells. Typical activities include local sponsorships, charitable giving, volunteer days, and open meetings where residents can ask questions. The audience is local, so the proof is local too: people who know the company by name and what it has done.
A company with a factory, a store chain or a stadium depends on this goodwill when it needs a permit, a zoning change or the benefit of the doubt after a mistake. Measure it by local sentiment, attendance, and the number of local partners who speak for the organization.
What is corporate communications?
Corporate communications manages the organization's overall voice across every audience. It sets brand messaging, writes executive speeches and annual reports, and keeps the company's statements consistent from the website to the press release. Where media relations targets reporters, corporate communications owns the message those reporters will hear.
This type also covers corporate social responsibility reporting. The Patagonia sustainability program shows a brand using its values as a communication asset. For a deeper treatment, see the analysis of corporate communications.
What is internal communications?
Internal communications keeps employees informed and aligned with company decisions before the public hears them. The channels are memos, town halls, manager briefings and intranet posts. Staff who learn of layoffs, mergers or product changes from the news lose trust in leadership.
Internal communication is also a risk control. Employees talk to customers and to the press, so what they know shapes what the public hears. Measure it through employee surveys, attendance at briefings and the speed at which managers can answer staff questions.
What is investor relations?
Investor relations communicates with shareholders, analysts and potential investors about a company's financial performance and strategy. Public companies run it through earnings releases, investor presentations, calls and regulatory filings. Accuracy is a legal matter here, so investor statements go through lawyers and finance teams.
The type matters to PR because investor audiences can force the story. The Olive Garden case shows what happens when an activist investor challenges a restaurant parent's strategy in public and the company has to answer on communications as well as numbers.
What is public affairs?
Public affairs, also called government relations, communicates with legislators, regulators and policy groups to shape the rules a business works under. Activities include position papers, testimony, coalition building and meetings with officials. The audience can decide whether a product is legal to sell.
Regulated industries depend on this work. The gambling public relations guide shows how operators balance licensing, advertising limits and responsible-gambling messages with state regulators. Measure public affairs by policy outcomes and by whether officials understand the company's position.
What is digital and social media PR?
Digital PR earns coverage and links online, and social media PR manages how an organization speaks and responds on social platforms. Together they cover online articles, social posts, community management and the content search engines and AI answers draw on. The audience reaches the organization directly, without a journalist in between.
The guide to digital PR and the social media PR playbook cover the working methods. The Nike digital PR case shows a brand running campaigns across platforms. Measure by reach, engagement quality and the placements that earn links.
What is influencer relations?
Influencer relations works with creators whose followers trust their recommendations. Brands send products, sponsor posts or sign ambassador deals, and the creator presents the brand to an audience the company cannot reach alone. The value comes from the creator's credibility, so it falls when the sponsorship feels forced.
Rules apply. Sponsored content needs clear disclosure, and the brand answers for what its partners say. The influencer marketing pillar covers how to select creators, set terms and measure results.
What is event PR?
Event PR plans launches, conferences, openings and stunts to create a shared experience and a reason for press coverage. A good event gives reporters a story and attendees a memory, and it produces content for every other channel. A poor one costs money and earns nothing.
The event public relations guide explains planning, invitations and follow-up. Measure by attendance, coverage that mentions the brand and the content captured for reuse.
How do the types work together in one program?
The types work together when each one covers a different audience for the same goal. Take a hypothetical regional restaurant chain launching a new menu item (an illustration, not a case study). Media relations pitches local food writers, influencer relations seeds the dish with creators, and event PR hosts a tasting. Internal communications briefs staff so they can answer questions, and community relations ties a portion of sales to a local charity. If a food-safety complaint appears, crisis communications takes over and the other types pause. The plan works because every team shares one calendar and one set of approved facts.
How do you choose which types of PR to use?
Choose types by naming the audience whose behavior you need to change, then matching the type that reaches it. The matching is a short list of decisions.
| If you need to | Start with |
|---|---|
| Get a product or story in the news | Media relations |
| Protect the company during a problem | Crisis communications |
| Keep a local license and local support | Community relations and public affairs |
| Reassure shareholders | Investor relations |
| Align staff before a change | Internal communications |
| Reach younger buyers online | Digital PR, social media PR and influencer relations |
Start with one or two types and add others as the program matures. A company without a tested crisis plan should build one before it spends on events.
Which guides cover specific industries and topics?
These guides apply the types above to particular industries, campaigns and skills. Use the table to find the one that matches your situation.
| Guide | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Evolution of public relations | How the field moved from press agentry to AI search |
| PESO model | Planning paid, earned, shared and owned media as one program |
| PR ROI | Measuring PR results without advertising value equivalents |
| Personal PR | Managing the reputation of an executive or individual |
| Brand positioning | Owning a market position through PR |
| PR campaigns | Stunts, ambassadors, partnerships and values campaigns |
| Product demand | How earned coverage supports sales |
| Product development | Pre-launch reviews that prevent crises |
| Inclusive PR | Reviewing campaigns for the audiences they describe |
| SaaS PR | Software companies and buyer trust |
| Travel PR | Destinations, hotels, airlines and press trips |
| Better-for-you snack PR | Health claims, food media and recalls |
| Nail salon PR | Local press, reviews and safety practices |
| Parenting brand PR | Safety rules, creators and children's privacy |
| Lifestyle PR | Brands built around a way of life |
| Defense PR | Audiences, press and trust in defense |
| PR as a desk job | What PR work involves day to day |
What skills do PR professionals need across the types?
PR professionals need clear writing, judgment about what is newsworthy and the ability to work with people under pressure. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $74,750 for public relations specialists as of May 2025, and the guide to PR job titles maps which titles lead each type. Specialists in investor relations or public affairs usually add finance or policy training to the same writing core. Each type also has its own trade bodies and codes of practice, so specialists often join the matching association.
Ethics runs through all ten types. The PR ethics guide explains the codes that apply and what happened to firms that broke them.
Frequently asked questions
How many types of public relations are there?
There is no official count. This guide uses ten: media relations, crisis communications, community relations, corporate communications, internal communications, investor relations, public affairs, digital and social media PR, influencer relations and event PR.
What is the most common type of PR?
Media relations is the most widely recognized type, because earning press coverage is the classic function of a PR team.
What is the difference between PR and advertising?
PR earns attention through coverage and relationships, and advertising pays for placement. The audience treats earned coverage as more credible because an outlet chose to publish it.
Which type of PR is best for a small business?
Small businesses usually start with media relations, community relations and digital PR, because each can run with a small team and a clear local or niche audience.
What is the difference between public relations and public affairs?
Public relations covers all of an organization's audiences. Public affairs is the part aimed at governments, legislators and regulators.
Ronn Torossian is the founder and chairman of 5W AI Communications. He is the publisher of Everything-PR and the author of two best-selling editions of For Immediate Release.